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I’m reading a book by Stephen Guise, called Mini Habits for Weight Loss. And although I don’t technically need to lose weight, a couple pairs of pants are fitting a bit snugger than I’d like! With being a coach who encourages her clients to dream big while taking small steps to achieve their goals, this sounded like a book I would resonate with.
The main point of Guise’s book is to create mini habits that get you going towards what you want. For example, he says that he started his health journey by setting a goal of one push up per day. Yep, you read that correctly. One. Because the one push up could lead to him wanting to do 10, with some squats and sit ups thrown in for good measure. But the message is that it’s okay to do the bare minimum.
From a food standpoint he talks about eating foods in as close to their natural state as possible as well as eating fruits and vegetables. He cites one study about how people who eat at least one serving of fruit every day weigh less than people who don’t. I haven’t eaten fruit daily in at least six years, but the statistics won me over so I’m trying it. I’m eating five strawberries a day. Five. That’s my mini habit for food. And after a week of doing this, it seems to be changing my palate to crave strawberries instead of processed sugar. Winning.
I am the first person to admit that I am about big change, all at once. But it takes a lot of energy and I don’t have that right now. So I’m going mini. With two mini habits: eating 5 strawberries a day and stretching my calves. Yesterday I did the bare minimum. And I have to remind myself that it’s enough. I don’t think it’s humanly possible to go big every day of our lives. Sometimes we need to do the bare minimum and give ourselves compassion.
Questions to ponder:
Do I need to shift perspective and go mini?
Where can I add a mini habit that helps me reach a big goal?
If you’re looking at these questions and don’t know where to start, give us a call or send an email to schedule a coaching session! We’d be happy to coach you for a session or two to help you make small changes that lead to big results in work and life.
Stay curious friends!
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for the Enneagram short course from July 18 through August 8 on Monday nights from seven to nine pm, both in person and via Zoom! Reply to this email to reserve your spot.
And make sure you’re listening to season one of the Dream Big Authentic Leadership podcast, found on Apple, Google, Spotify, and Stitcher.
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